Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-04
A SAFE TRACK
THE RISK OF RAILROAD MANAGE
MENT is THE MAN ELEMENT.


the EmpIoye Is frequently Careless.
Some of the Rules of Railroad EN-
Observation-Disclosures.
sit is matter of grave surprise to me, ~
said railroad magnate of prominence, in
conversation with a reporter, ''that after
every accident on steam railways the peo-
pie raise clamor about that indefinite
and vague parsonage, the management,
instead of seeking out at once the individ-
ual employe of the company to whose
carelessness, most probably, the mishap is
attributable. With very few exceptions,
railroads, in their own interest as well as
the public's, take every precaution for
the safety Of passengers The machinery
of the road can be kept in such way as
to guard against accident to a reasonable
certainty. Metal works are easily
managed; the great risk in the operation
of the railroad is the man element The
nearer the man becomes an automatOn, or
like machine, the safer he is. The
average human being in subordinate or
lowly position is prone to do what he is
distinctly told not to do, and neglect to do
that which he is ordered to perform. AS
said, man is the risky link, but without
him in the running of railroad it would
be impossible to get along. Ii we could
only get machine to take mans place
along the line I would undertake to per-
sonally guarantee the safety of trains and
their passengers.
''The nearer railroad employe be-
comes a machine the greater safety he
will prove to the railroad and his patrons.
The more devoid of vaulting ambition he
becomes the better he will be. You take
old conductors who have been in the SER
vice for years, who are perfectly satisfied
with their situations and do not aspire to
be general manager of the road, they
make the best men for their places. They
do not think of anything else, and that
makes them valuable as conductors.
From the standpoint of safety it's better
for man not to think at all, but to
blindly follow Instructions The road
will advise him as to his duties, place him
in a rut and oil his joints with salary in
keeping with his place. When doing duty
for the railroad he has no business think
ing of anything else. His time is the
company's, and it pays him for following
instructions.
railway man, "do not understand that
framed with particular reference to the
safety of the company's property and the
kyes of it's patrons and employees. Let
me show you our Instructions All told,
they fill quite large book. Moreover,
employees are required to learn these regu
Iations. 1t is as much their duty to
familiarize themselves with them as it is
to be on hand ready to go to work at the
hour appointed by their superiors. Rail
road hands, as a rule, are not the most
highly educated men. I would scarcely
care to hire Harvard or Yale man for
switch service or any job of that kind.
In the first place, the college man would
spend too much time in thinking, instead
of attending to business. The caliber of
our men is such, as rule, that it is not
only necessary to tell them what they
shall do, but also what they shall not do.
'We start out by instructing them to
take the safe side in cases of the least I'M
certainty. Take the case of trackmen.
They are specially instructed by their SUI
periors to set no fires on windy days; to
leave no fire until they are sure it is eX-
tinguished; they must examine culverts,
bridges, rails make all needful temporary
repairs, and instantly report anything be-
yond their capabilities. For the safe op-
GRAFTON of trains the rules are so numer-
Gus that | can only mention few of
them Here is one which most people
will be surprised at. 1t reads:
g Trains are to be run under the direc-
ton of the conductor. except when his di-
rections conflict with train orders, the
rules, or involve any risk or hazard, in
which event it shall be the duty of any
emploYe to call the attention of the con-
ductor or engineer to the risk they take,
and themselves at once take such action
as will secure the safety of persons and
property committed to their charge; and
if any employe shall neglect or refuse to
call the attention of the conductor or en-
gineer to the risk, Or neglect to take such
action Immediately as will secure the
safety of persons and property, in either
of these cases all participators will be held
alike accountable
''Every passenger train running at night
must display two good red lights on the
rear platform of the rear car in the train,
and it is the duty of the conductor and
the rear brakeman to examine them fire.
quently to see that the lights burn clearly
Every passenger train must have a bell
cord attached to the signal bell on the en-
CINE, and passing through the entire train
According to the rules, irregular trains,
running under special or telegraph orders,
must be run with great care. Engineers
must run with great caution around all
abrupt curves, sounding the whistle at
least eighty rods before entering the curve,
and continuing to sound it at short inter
walls until the curve is passed.
'|All trains except first class trains must
approach all stations, water tanks and
coal chutes under complete control, ex-
pecting to find the preceding train on the
main track, whether it may be a stopping
place for that train or not. In case of ac-
cident or stoppage upon the main track
from any cause, conductors must imme
diately protect their trains. Whenever
fogs OF storms prevent an engineer from
seeing clearly in advance, the signal used
for obscure road crossings must be given
at intervals of one minute, until the train
is clear of the fog or storm. The absence
Of light at night on any switch or signal
post where light is ordinarily shown,
must be taken as signal of danger; and
engineers approaching such switch must
stop or run slowly until the proper posi-
ton of the switch is ascertained.
''In every first class railway organiza-
ton there is a most elaborate system of
test inspection. Car wheels, axles,
brakes, rails, ties, bridges of all sorts,
lamps, signals, locomotive gear of every
description-in fact, the whole road and
all of its appurtenances-ar watched as
hen watches her young chicks. The
great machine is kept almost perfect, ex-
cept in the human parts. There the
great danger lies, and danger always will
be there as long as railroads are operated
by men, The ideal railroad, so far as
safety is concerned, will come when some
body invents a railroad that can be run
without men. Chicago Herald Inter
view.
The Correct Pronunciation.
Mrs. Bingham-I s'pose, Miss Amelia,
you saw some gram specimens of arkatec-
ter when you's down in New York city?
Miss Amelia who has been studying
French without a master)-Oh, yes, in
deed, Mrs. Bingham; specially some of